DHS Unveils Controversial Plan for Driver’s License Data Checks

URGENT UPDATE: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has just announced a controversial plan to incorporate state driver’s license information into its rapidly expanding Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database. This move, revealed in a public notice on October 20, 2023, raises alarms among experts about significant implications for voter access and privacy.

The DHS claims this initiative will streamline the verification of citizenship status, enabling election officials to conduct comprehensive checks on voter rolls. By linking driver’s license data, which often contains sensitive personal information, DHS aims to enhance immigration enforcement and prevent public benefits fraud. However, experts warn that this could lead to wrongful disenfranchisement of eligible voters.

Emails obtained by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune indicate that DHS approached Texas officials earlier this year regarding a pilot program to include the state’s driver license data. While it’s unclear if Texas participated, the implications are profound. The SAVE system has already integrated millions of Americans’ Social Security data, allowing for bulk searches of voter rolls for the first time.

Michael Morse, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, emphasized the gravity of this development: “It is the key that unlocks everything.” By utilizing driver’s license numbers, election officials would gain a powerful tool to conduct mass verifications, potentially flagging citizens as noncitizens due to outdated or incorrect data.

Advocates and privacy experts are expressing deep concerns. Rachel Orey, director of the elections project at the Bipartisan Policy Center, stated, “This could have far-reaching consequences for voter access and public trust if inaccurate data were used to question eligibility or citizenship.” The potential for false flags is heightened, given that driver’s license numbers can be reused across states.

DHS maintains that the integration of driver’s license data is necessary to improve the accuracy and efficiency of SAVE. Yet, critics argue that this expansion represents an overreach of federal power. Justin Levitt, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University, remarked, “The administration wants to get as much data as it can, however it can, whenever it can.”

As the debate intensifies, advocacy groups are already preparing to challenge this initiative in court, claiming it violates the Privacy Act. The legality of pooling such data to verify citizenship status remains contentious. Furthermore, DHS has stated it will exercise caution in flagging voters, but the lack of transparency raises significant concerns.

On October 20, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson reported that her office had used SAVE to check the state’s entire voter roll, revealing that approximately 0.015%, or 2,724 individuals, may be noncitizens. However, local officials worry that these results could be misleading. Christopher Davis, the Travis County voter registration director, noted that around 25% of those flagged had already provided proof of citizenship when registering.

The implications of this unfolding situation are monumental, not just for Texas but potentially for voters across the nation. As more details emerge, stakeholders will be watching closely, particularly regarding the accuracy of data and the safeguarding of citizens’ rights.

Authorities are expected to respond to public comments on this system expansion, but with critical timelines looming, the urgency for transparency and accountability has never been greater. The future of voter verification and civil liberties hangs in the balance.

Stay tuned for the latest developments on this urgent issue as it continues to evolve.